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by wbtrashking (fan_nerd)



Series: body music (reverse au) [7]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Role Reversal AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9334532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fan_nerd/pseuds/wbtrashking
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki has been fighting to get golds since age thirteen.He watches his peers fall to the side, growing nervous as his shadow gets longer and the medals start piling up. Yuuri's coach is ecstatic. Yuuri is starting to count how many callouses litter his heels.By age twenty-seven, everything tires him, but he is especially exhausted to keep holding onto his spot at the top.





	

**Author's Note:**

> welcome back to the reverse au!!! will i ever stop? the answer is no ♥
> 
> reverse au blog [@yoireverse](http://yoireverse.tumblr.com/)  
> [my personal](http://wbtrashking.tumblr.com/)  
> [em's art blog](http://narootos.tumblr.com/)

Hasetsu is a quiet town, and the ice skating rink closest to Yuuri's home is an hour jog from the inn.

Yuuri moves from basic training to private coaching fairly quickly.

He, Yuuko, and Takeshi start drifting apart at age ten or so, when Yuuri has obviously accelerated beyond simple ice dancing and learning to do jumps. His fluidity is graceful to the point of catching the attention of everyone lingering around the rink, so the man holding the class pulls him aside. "Listen," he says, whispering to the wide-eyed boy, "I know it might difficult, with tourism on the decline in Hasetsu, but tell your parents we'll work something out. You should start thinking about learning how to skate competitively."

The boy nods sheepishly, delighted that his skill in figure skating is being praised. Yuuri talks to his parents about it and they nod happily, eagerly mentioning that they'll figure out the financial part and telling him not to worry about anything. Minako takes her support a step further and pats Yuuri on the back, saying that she'll be there to support all of his competitions. She thinks the move is good for him, so he flushes and sits in anticipation as his parents make calls, setting up practice sessions with a new coach.

Katsumi Ota is a stern woman. She is of average height, but her jaw is square instead of round. A dark ponytail swishes behind her when she skates, and she gives Yuuri a terse greeting, smiling just slightly. "This will not be easy, but now is the time to learn, so your joints have time to adjust. Are you ready, Yuuri?"

Yuuri nods, yelping his response back.

That first day, Yuuri falls twenty times and bumps into other people at the rink about five times. He's achingly bruised, and when he goes home to soak in the hot springs that evening, he heatedly tells his father, "I'm going to practice until I don't fall, or I'm going to quit!!"

He never winds up quitting.

Katsumi trains Yuuri until he's bleeding, until he needs first aid and has tears in his eyes. She looks at him and says, "We're done here."

Yuuri looks back, wiping blood off of his nose with the back of his coat, and he stubbornly replies, "I'm not finished!"''

The woman smiles in return, pleased with his willpower. "Good. We'll continue for a while longer, and then you have to rest."

"But I'm getting the hang of the jumps!"

The boy's coach flicks him in the forehead before pointing to his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "You need to ice that, and I don't mean sticking your nose on  _this_ ice by crash-landing again. You have to rest to improve sometimes, you know?"

Katsumi teaches him to do rhythmic figure eights when he's feeling anxious, and teaches him the methodologies of competitive jumps, pointing out how best to angle himself and take off to land cleanly.

From age eleven to twelve, she helps mould the unsteady boy with watery caramel eyes into a thoughtful competitor.

Yuuri Katsuki enters his first competition at age thirteen, making waves underneath Ota's tutelage. It takes two more years for Yuuri to break through, but once he does, Ota hugs him with tears in her eyes.

She says, "You did it, Yuuri. All that practice? All the aches, pains, and tears? It was all for this."

Yuuri holds the placard for first place at Japanese nationals with a breathless look, eyes wide and lips open in shock.

The gravity of what he's accomplished doesn't hit him until later.

//

When Yuuri is seventeen years old, he takes first place at the Juniors. His family loudly applauds him; Yuuri himself is inordinately surprised. Katsumi isn't shocked at all - for years, she's watched her finest student carve his place in figure skating, and she knows he's destined for great things, so long as he doesn't get swept up by the pressure. 

She knows that her time as Yuuri's coach is almost over - she doesn't have the credentials or drive to push Yuuri further. He got this far by trying his best, pushing through his weak technical with supreme performances. She's a moment away from calling in a few favors from athletes she used to know when the Junior qualifiers begin.

A man arrives at  _Ice Castle_ in a fresh-pressed suit. He asks to speak to Yuuri, who's been learning English, but still has a long way to go before he's conversational. Yuuri keeps a light eye on figure skating heavy-hitters, but he's still young, and he can't be expected to know how prominent a person has just come to his home rink.

Rehan Lietner adjusts his collar. Katsumi brings him over and serves as a translator when Yuuri finds it a bit too difficult to come up with what he's trying to say in English. Eventually, he comes up to shake Yuuri's hand, and the teenager shakes back nervously.

"I want you to continue to shine," Rehan says, his voice steady and calm, "I want to train you in Austria."

Yuuri blinks, processes the words, and then exhales with a question.

"Excuse me?"

//

Rehan joins the Katsuki family for dinner to discuss coaching fees, travel expenses and so forth. Yuuri is asked multiple times whether he's interested in becoming Rehan's solo pupil, and whether he's willing to move to Austria to do so, and he says that he is.

His heart is racing. Yuuri's not sure he's ready for the Senior circuit, but he tells himself that he is. He tries to keep his urge to freak out and scream under control, even while he gets his visa, books his flight, and sits next to his new coach with unsteady hands and sweaty palms.

They spend the first few days in Austria getting adjusted to the time difference. Rehan shows Yuuri the rink, a few cool places to eat in town, and the gym where he'll do most of his conditioning. Yuuri nods in a daze, quite frankly overwhelmed by Vienna's towering buildings and bustling city life.

Once practice starts, Yuuri starts to come back to himself.

Rehan pushes Yuuri to his limits. He's a friendly coach, one for Yuuri to lean on when he's in tears, when he feels like giving up, but after everything, Yuuri  _wants_ to win.

After proving himself at the Juniors, he wants to win the Seniors, no matter what it takes, and Rehan, with his experience in coaching Olympic athletes and figure skaters through many, many seasons, and he encourages Yuuri's artistry.

Yuuri collapses and breaks down. He runs from Rehan a handful of times, and struggles to claw his way up in the Senior division. He has trouble keeping up with his rink mates, and his self-loathing only continues to grow. Anxious energy spurns him on, drives Yuuri to get silvers and bronzes, but golds remain out of his reach for  _years_.

Then, when Yuuri turns twenty, having lived in Vienna for three years and never made it to the top of the podium, he comes to Rehan's house. Rehan lives a few stops away from the rink with his wife and three children, and Yuuri feels horrible about how late he's visiting. Still, he bursts in and says, "I need to coordinate my own programs. I want to speak to people about music. I don't know. Maybe everything will turn out even  _worse_ , but. I  _need_ this. What do you think, Rehan?"

Yuuri's coach pulls Yuuri into his arms, eyes sparkling. "That's  _it_ , Yuuri. If that's what you need to do, you have my full support. We'll build the program that's been missing in your life."

After Rehan's wife comes downstairs and shushes the two men, Yuuri scurries off to his apartment, a fresh sense of elation washing over him.

//

Yuuri spends the off-season getting prepared. He qualifies for the Olympic team at age twenty-one, and takes the world by storm. "Gold! Gold, gold! Katsuki has shown his dominance as Japan's top skater here in 2014!! He set the world record for his SP in his senior debut, and broke the world record with his FS score!"

Rehan cheers Yuuri on to victory, but the buzzes of the press and the weight of gold on his chest leave him floating along in space.

He dreamily recounts the journey to newscasters, Rehan patting his back and cheering every few words. Yuuri's knees are still wobbly as the medaling ceremony comes to a close.

But that isn't the end, of course. Rehan asks if Yuuri still wants to compete on the regular circuit, to which Yuuri dazedly remarks that he'd like to, if Rehan thinks he's up to it.

Rehan says, "Yuuri, you won everything you could compete in at the Olympics. Of course I think you're up for it."

That same year, continuing his late-start medaling career, Yuuri climbs to the top at the Grand Prix.

Yuuri gasps for air, clinging to his coach like he's a lifeline.

"You did it," the older man tells him, crying together with his star pupil. "You made it to the top, Yuuri. It's been a long time coming."

Yuuri sobs and nods, head still full of tumbling thoughts.

The big question is, then -  _what comes next_?

//

Yuuri spends his summers with his parents and the rest of the year with Rehan. He holds many interviews at the inn, both to increase interest in tourism and to see his family. By the time he's twenty-three, Yuuri is is feeling a little stagnant.

His poodle isn't feeling well, and it makes him depressed, so he holes himself inside when he's not doing conditioning and practice. The new Nishigori family stops by and Yuuri makes pleasantries, but he doesn't have much to talk about. They have children. He lives under public scrutiny as an athlete.

The new season starts soon, and he's just. Tired.

Rehan sends him an email.

_Maybe you should start this season somewhere new. I won't be offended. Sometimes, having the same coach forever can be draining. I have a friend in Detroit who'll be able to take care of you, if you want to check his rink out?_

Yuuri is a loyal person by nature, and he's not very interested in switching coaches, but he does feel drained. He sends coach Celestino Cialdini a quick message. The man of Italian descent gets back to Yuuri fairly quickly, which makes the skater nervous.

_Yuuri,_

_You're always welcome in Detroit. I usually encourage my skaters to stay with each other for cheap rent and team-building, but it's not required._

_We have two rooms available close to my rink._

_Give me a ring if you ever decide to visit._

_-CC_

Yuuri's dog Kino dies that summer, and he flies to Detroit to escape his misery.

//

Phichit Chulanont turns out to be a pretty good roommate. Given that Yuuri bursts into tears as soon as he gets his bags in the room, babbling things in hodgepodge English, the younger man handles the sudden breakdown pretty well. Phichit rubs a hand over the older man's back while he sobs, unsure of what he should say.

"You okay, buddy?" Phichit's voice is soft and soothing while Yuuri shakes his head.

Once he pulls himself together, the older man is horribly embarrassed. His face is red, his eyes puffy, and Yuuri sniffles, saying, "This is a pretty horrible way to start our term as roommates, huh?"

Phichit laughs, toying with his fringe. "I don't know. I think this is a good way for us to get to know each other. Just so you know, I cry every time talks about animal abuse and when my relatives talk about their favorite soap operas, so you'll get the chance to make it up to me pretty soon."

Yuuri barks out a laugh.

From this interaction alone, the two of them of them get the sense that they're going to be great friends.

//

Celestino isn't so much a taskmaster as somebody that acts like his skaters' cool uncle. He keeps an eye on all his rink students, but especially on Phichit, who is just getting ready to make it big in the Senior leagues.

Phichit is naturally charismatic, and seeing him try his best to bring cheer to everyone, to showcase his talent and live for his country's pride - it fuels Yuuri. He wants to be the kind of friend that Phichit can look up to, figuratively speaking.

Yuuri  _also_ wants to show his pride as the defender of the throne of men's figure skating. He integrates harder elements into his routine, pushing the limits of what should possible for an athlete his age. He pushes through his inner panic, through the long, anxious nights where he wants to binge eat with Phichit, and nights where all he wants to do is scream.

He brushes his tears away, bandages his feet, and wipes his sweat while Celestino yells things to help Yuuri focus on getting his balance right, on landing every quad, on sweeping his arms at the correct angles.

Phichit refuses to give up when he sees Yuuri's program coming together. He wants to stand on the podium just as much as Yuuri does, and he's not afraid to work for it either.

That year, at the Grand Prix, Yuuri comes in first yet again, and Phichit just barely misses the stand.

When they see each other afterwards, Phichit is crying happy tears. Yuuri pats his shoulder and says, "Wanna give up?"

Phichit sniffles, scoffs, and pulls his friend into a hug. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Yuuri pats his back, exhaling in relief while he holds Phichit close. "That's what I wanted to hear."

//

When Yuuri is twenty-five, Phichit has a Grand Prix silver medal clutched in his hands.

He's crying, and Chris, who holds bronze, looks proud of himself.

The champion of the event wonders where moments like that have gone. Yuuri looks down at gold and feels nothing. He's been winning gold medals for a long time.

Perhaps too long. Phichit makes a V for the cameras, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. All he's ever wanted was to show all of Thailand his skill, to encourage skating prowess in a country that isn't well-known for that. He's told Yuuri over and over again that gold is best, but doing what he loves,  _showing people he loves what he does_ \- that's what he competes for.

Phichit is an uplifting roommate and a good influence on Yuuri, but the flash of cameras in his eyes is blinding, and as he adjusts his glasses, smiling for yet another interview, he realizes that he's become numb to all of it.

Yuuri is terrified.

//

By the time Victor bumbles into Yuuri's life, the older man just feels drained, generally.

Skating is infuriating, but Yuuri doesn't know what  _else_ to do. He's starting to run out of routines, and he's getting too damn old to keep up with all the kids coming out of the Junior circuit.

He's numb to everything. His smiles are hollow, and he plays nice with the media and his overwhelming legion of fans. 

Yuuri has heard of Victor Nikiforov, even before he'd offered to take a photo with him. He's a very handsome man, three years his junior, and with a tangled mess of hair flopping over clear blue eyes, but he looks just as lost as Yuuri does. The older skater offers and Victor, unlike most of Yuuri's outspoken fans, flees from sight immediately.

The older skater thinks about it for  _ages_ until they meet again.

//

That banquet makes Yuuri realize that he hadn't  _really_ been doing other than skating for years.

He doesn't have many friends now - really, he's only close to Phichit and Yuuko, these days. Chris is a good acquaintance to chat with if he needs to speak with someone quickly on Instagram or Twitter.

Victor reminds him that Yuuri  _is_ only twenty-seven. He's full of life, even though he's upset about coming in last at the Grand Prix final. Victor is shameless and it feels like he sees right through Yuuri.

Yuuri is too cynical to call himself smitten, but Victor  _does_ wear a flush very well, and Yuuri is beyond flattered to hear that Victor wants him to be his coach.

For the next few months, he lives in a state of confusion. Skating with Celestino occupies most of his work time, and his off-hours are spent bumming around the city with Phichit. He's never sure how seriously he should have taken Victor's words in Sochi.

Phichit eventually elbows his friend in the side. "So, whatever happened to lover boy?"

Yuuri suspects that Victor Nikiforov has forgotten all about their meeting under the influence of alcohol.

That's fine. Yuuri shrugs and smiles vacantly up at his taller friend. "Mm. It was just a passing thing."

Phichit gives him a wilting look. "You sure about that? I've seen your Twitter. It's full of likes for Victor's tweets."

Yuuri slaps Phichit on the arm. "Stop ghosting me!! Is nothing sacred in this world?"

"Between the two of us?" Phichit rolls his eyes. "Absolutely  _not_. You're crushing hard, and as your best friend, I reserve the right to poke fun at you for being hilarious and adorable. It's kind of nice to see you  _invested_ in anything, you know? Feels like some spark came back to your eyes."

The words catch him off-guard.

Yuuri hadn't known he'd seemed  _that_  elated when he had looked up more information about the man who'd come in last place at the Grand Prix.

It makes him wonder just how people see him now, when he flies home for nationals, thoughts about Victor Nikiforov warm on his legs at the banquet. Yuuri's traveled lots of places and won lots of medals, but in recent years, none of them have felt quite so tangible as the Russian skater breathing hot over him, silvery hair falling in his eyes.

Winning the Japanese Nationals is not a breeze so much as it is just expected of Yuuri, and when the season comes to a close and a video gets sent his way, Yuuri takes it as a sign.

He smiles softly as he presses play, and figures out how best to contact his admirer.

Perhaps he'll feel that spark with Victor that Phichit had mentioned once more.

**Author's Note:**

> don't forget to follow [@yoireverse](http://yoireverse.tumblr.com/) for more reverse au shenanigans and updates!! em and i love fanart for the AU, so please tag [@wbtrashking](http://wbtrashking.tumblr.com/) \+ [@narootos](http://narootos.tumblr.com/) if you draw anything!! ♥♥♥
> 
> also, you can now follow me [on twitter](https://twitter.com/wbtrashking)!! uvu;;


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